Cardiology: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
Written By: Sophie Farr
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, is a rare condition which affects the autonomic nervous system. POTS means that your body doesn’t work against gravity, as unafflicted bodies do, so when a sufferer goes from sitting to standing, the blood starts to pool in their legs. As the blood pools in the legs, their heart tries to compensate and get blood to the heat by beating rapidly, also known as tachycardia. The main diagnostic test is the “tilt table” which patients are strapped to and then moved from lying to standing and their heart rate is monitored. If this person’s heart rate increases by more than 30 beats per minute, they will likely be diagnosed with POTS.
POTS is most common in young girls and women who are going through hormonal changes, such as puberty or menopause. There is no current medication, but doctors recommend an increase in salt in the diet and an increase in fluids to increase blood volume. Symptoms related to POTS consist of, “pooling” of blood in the legs, which can be reduced through lifestyle changes. For example, some experts recommend wearing weighted ankle bracelets as you walk around the house to get your body used to working harder and promoting healthy circulation. Furthermore, doing simple exercises, such as drawing the alphabet with your feet before going from lying down to standing, can reduce sufferers’ risk of fainting. In addition to this, when a POTS patient is standing, but starts to feel faint, they are encouraged to rock backwards and forwards on their feet to stimulate blood flow.
It is often incredibly difficult living with POTS due to the disruption it can cause to individuals’ daily lives.On top of this, it is hard to get an accurate diagnosis of POTS as the symptoms, such as dizziness, feeling faint and a rapid heart rate, are also linked to mental health conditions such as anxiety and panic attacks. POTS is not a well known disease; many doctors will have never heard of the syndrome and some even deny that it exists. It is vital that those who suffer from this illness seek the opinion of an expert that is experienced with this complex condition.
